1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a platform member positionable onto an electrical connector to provide a surface for picking the connector with a suction picking device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A common automatic method of picking electrical connectors and placing them onto a printed circuit board, is by a vacuum-type pick and place machine that has a pipette which is placed against a smooth surface of the connector to be picked.
Some connectors, however, due to their compactness, do not provide a sufficiently large, smooth or accessible surface area for picking with the vacuum pipette. The latter is especially so, when considering that connectors for mounting to a printed circuit board must be picked on a surface facing in an opposing direction to the printed circuit board mounting face, this surface usually comprising either cavities extending into the connector for receptacle terminals, or contact pins projecting upwards therefrom. One way of overcoming this problem is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,977, whereby a separate cap member is provided, the cap member being latched to the connector and providing a suction surface on an upper face thereof.
Another way is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,311, where a cover is positioned by fitting onto pins of a header connector. For the latter, the cover is relatively rigid and the pin receiving cavity areas relatively unflexible. This may mean that under certain circumstances, retention to the pins may be unreliable or too strong. A more flexible, elastic holding means is desirable. Furthermore, there is high material usage, which is undesirable for such throw-away pieces.
For certain connectors it is difficult to provide a suitable and reliable latching means for cooperation with the cap member due to the compactness of the connector, and in certain cases some of the connectors are standardized and exterior geometry can not be modified. Furthermore, it would be desirable, whenever possible, to provide a suction platform for a connector, that does not need to be removed for connection of the connector to a mating connector.